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Powell: Iran far from nuclear weapon
Iran is far from acquiring a nuclear weapon, and despite U.S. fears about its atomic intentions, an American military strike against the Islamic Republic is unlikely, former Secretary of State Colin Powell said Sunday. Oh yeah. The US is going to let that one slide because they have prior engagements elsewhere? Tehran rejects claims by the United States and some European Union countries that its nuclear program is aimed at secretly producing weapons, insisting it is for peaceful purposes only. That's not what the smoke and mirrors say to me! "I think Iran is a long way from having anything that could be anything like a nuclear weapon," said Powell, who was invited by the National Bank of Kuwait to speak on economic opportunity and crisis in the Middle East. Well, it may be true but their actions say otherwise. A recent report by the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog found Iran has been generally truthful in the information it has provided the agency about aspects of its past nuclear activities. And birth control generally works 99% of the time, but that leaves 1% of the time it absolutely positively doesn't work at all. But the International Atomic Energy Agency said it could not rule out that Iran had a secret weapons program because of restrictions Tehran placed on its inspectors two years ago. I'm sure the Iranians will work to overcome them in a couple three years or so. Asked if he sees a U.S. war on Iran coming, the retired U.S. general said although no American official will say the option was "off the table," he did not see prospects of a military conflict. I guess that leaves time to tell the story! There is no base of support among Americans for such an action, Powell said, adding that the U.S. military already has enough on its hands in Iraq and Afghanistan. It wouldn't take much to swat Iran then leave. It might take more to defend the Straits of Hormuz, though. I don't know if we have the bandwidth to do it now. But in another year or so, who knows what the situation will be in Iraq . . . . Powell was the secretary of state under President Bush from 2001 to 2005. In September 2004, Powell said Iran's nuclear program was a growing threat and he called for international sanctions. OK, what changed? Posted by: gorb 2007-11-20 |
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